money player

"You have many lovers?"

"uh-huh."

"How should I understand your lover? Eastern way? Western way?"

"What is Eastern?"

"Outhouse."

"No, I don't have an extramarital affair. The lover I'm talking about is a woman with whom I have a long-term intimate sexual relationship. Both parties have equal status, there is no support relationship, and there is no obligation to fulfill. Both parties can unilaterally propose to terminate the lover relationship, just like I have no right to accuse you of dating other men."

Alice caressed Xian Yaowen's face and smiled, "Can I have other lovers?"

"of course."

Before Xian Yaowen finished his words, the phone in the living room rang. He picked up Alice and carried her to the phone.

Qi Longque's voice came from the other end of the phone, "I'm in Rome."

"Italy is nice. Have fun there for a few days. When you're done, go back through Lao San's house and take a look at the things you need to see, especially the crops in the fields."

"Ok."

After hanging up the phone, Xian Yaowen pushed Alice against the wall and covered her mouth.

After kissing her for a while, he put her on the ground and said, "I'm going to the George V Street to attend the salon. Please do me a favor."

"what?"

"Please help me buy some gifts on the Champs-Elysées and book a table at a romantic restaurant. I want to give my lover Alice a surprise."

Alice kissed Xian Yaowen on the cheek and said with a smile: "I will definitely satisfy your lover."

Xian Yaowen responded with, “Have a nice day.”

More than an hour later.

Xian Yaowen met Hepburn at the hotel. She was wearing a black evening dress. The appropriate exposure of her chest and back concealed the flaws of her broad shoulders, and her overall temperament was improved by several points.

After giving Hepburn a hug, Xian Yaowen whispered in her ear: "A black evening gown suits you very well. Did the hotel rent it?"

"Yes."

Xian Yaowen stroked Hepburn's back, feeling the places where wrinkles and bumps would easily appear if she wore ill-fitting clothes, and then said with a smile: "This evening dress is almost cut according to your size, but the chest size is a little bigger."

Hepburn broke free from Xian Yaowen's embrace and rolled her eyes at him, "Adam, you have mocked my small breasts countless times."

"OK." Xian Yaowen shrugged, "I won't bring up this topic anymore. Did you eat anything today?"

"I had two cups of coffee."

Xian Yaowen glanced at his watch and said, "There's still plenty of time. I'll take you to eat something."

After finding a restaurant to eat something simple on the way, the two came to the Givenchy studio on Avenue George V. It was not yet time for the salon to start, and when they entered the studio, they only saw Givenchy and Philippe Venette fiddling with drinks.

"Hubert."

Hearing Xian Yaowen's call, Givenchy showed a charming smile, "Adam."

Xian Yaowen stepped forward and gave Givenchy a hug. He looked at Philippe Venette standing behind him, smiled at him, and then patted Givenchy on the buttocks, "Mrs. Venette, your buttocks have become more perky again."

Before Givenchy could speak, Philip said, "It's my credit."

"Wow." Xian Yaowen exclaimed, let go of Givenchy, and said to Philippe, "When are you going to propose to Hubert?"

"About winter."

Xian Yaowen winked at Givenchy, then shook hands with Philippe. "Leave the bachelor party to me. There will be a surprise."

"Adam, I'll leave my bachelor party to you," Givenchy interrupted.

"Ha." Xian Yaowen raised his hand to surrender, "Okay, I won't participate in any of your activities. I'm just waiting to be invited."

The three of them looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

After the joke, Xian Yaowen gestured to Hepburn, "Audrey Hepburn, you will soon be a famous Hollywood actress. Hubert, you two can chat while Philippe and I go to see your work."

He was not quite sure how Hepburn and Givenchy formed a commercial pair in the previous life, but the effect was quite good. In that case, they would continue the historical trajectory.

Let the two chat alone, Xian Yaowen followed Philip to see the clothes designed by Givenchy and listen to the company's business report.

He watched carefully and listened seriously, but expressed his opinions cautiously. Since the Juliet brand management had already been developed according to his ideas, he should not have injected too much of his own ideas into Givenchy Hepburn. Otherwise, as time went by, both companies would be engraved with his mark, and there would be serious assimilation, making it impossible to form complementary ideas and thinking.

For Givenchy Hepburn, he'd better always maintain his position as an investor and not overstep his boundaries.

As time passed, the salon was about to open and the first customer arrived. It was Bettina, who once wanted to be a fashion designer but became a model by accident.

After Philip's introduction and conversation, Xian Yaowen learned that Bettina was the muse of a group of new generation of post-war fashion designers in Paris, and was good friends with Jacques Fath, Christian Dior and Pierre Balmain, and had an even better relationship with Givenchy, and might join Givenchy Hepburn.

Xian Yaowen knew very little about Bettina. His only memory was that she was affected by Prince Ali Khan. A few years later, she got involved with Ali Khan and they got into a car accident together. Ali Khan died, but she survived.

Ali Khan's title of prince is very empty, but his love history is quite domineering. He had an extramarital affair with Churchill's daughter-in-law Pamela Churchill for quite a long time. After he got tired of it, he kicked his ex-wife and lover away and married Hollywood star Rita Hayworth.

This marriage did not last long. Ali Khan's next marriage partner was Gene Tierney, another Hollywood star and Kennedy's ex. The two had been together for more than a year. After she repeatedly pressed for marriage, Kennedy confessed his political ambitions to her, claiming that she was not suitable to be the "First Lady" and therefore would not marry her.

The next one was Bettina jumping into the pit.

While chatting with Bettina, the names of Porfirio Rubirosa and Howard Hughes flashed through Xian Yaowen's mind. These two were masters of picking up girls for decades. They once divided the current famous Western women into three categories: slept with both of them, slept with one of them, and neither of them.

In comparison, Rubirosa is more amazing, as he picks up girls only by his martial arts skills. Hughes has an aura of wealth, and the motivation for some women to approach him must be money.

Taking Rubilosa as a prototype, we can extract a more restrained and ordinary story:
Hao Shuyou, a coolie at the dock, was bullied and fell into the water while carrying bags at the dock. Unexpectedly, when he sank to the bottom of the sea, he touched an ancient box with a rolled up sheepskin inside and the inscription "The Secret Book of Turning the Wheel - Written by Lao Ai" on it. When he opened it, he saw the first line of the book "The front wheel does not turn but the rear wheel does, this is the highest level of turning the wheel".

After three years of hard training, Hao Shuyou finally mastered the skills. From then on, beautiful landlords, concubines of small businessmen, daughters of wealthy families, and British aristocratic ladies all threw themselves into his arms and helped him build a career. In just five years, Hao Shuyou became a Hong Kong tycoon and was respectfully called "Hao Bancheng".

To create this story, the screenwriter had to go to the docks to collect materials and listen to how the coolies daydream. Only in this way can they make a satisfying drama that they like. Once they are guided to put themselves in the perspective of the protagonist, watching the drama three or five times is not a problem, and high box office can be expected.

While chatting with a "young model" who had good looks and a great figure, Xian Yaowen's thoughts were far away. It was not that he was aesthetically fatigued and wanted to take a break, but that Bettina's desire to attack was too strong, and she had the aura of a spontaneous girl.

Ever since they first met, Bettina's eyes lingered on Xian Yaowen's face for a moment, and then glanced at his abdomen from time to time. As a former designer and current model, she had a deep understanding of clothing. Through the wrinkles and tension of Xian Yaowen's slim-fitting suits caused by his body movements, she could clearly outline his figure in her mind.

The figure was amazing and she loved it.

Clay Simpson is a well-known figure in the New York modeling industry and Hollywood dream chasers. Everyone knows that this fat guy is from a flower agency. While doing private work to organize supermodels and poach people, he was not idle. He slept with several young models who took the initiative to wink at him, but did not dare to touch those who were a little more famous. Each of their names was circled by the boss, and no one knows whether this circle was a career circle or a condom circle.

Coincidentally, Bettina's modeling contract was signed with Ford at the end of last year. There was no circle around her name, but Simpson learned some experience from her. He could tell from her photos that Bettina had the qualities of a supermodel, so when he was poaching people, she was also recruited as a supermodel.

Bettina had worked with Jane Patchett before. When Jane Patchett came to Paris, she naturally had to entertain her. The two met and talked about their new boss whom they had never met. Bettina knew that Xian Yaowen was her boss.

The supermodel's boss is Xian Yaowen, but Simpson, an important figure in the flower club, plays the role of manager. This easily makes people think that Xian Yaowen is also the boss of the flower club, and Jane Patchett came to Paris to support a brand that will hold a press conference in the Louvre, and the boss of this brand is still Xian Yaowen.

Not to mention Givenchy Hepburn, since Bettina is interested in joining, how could she not know the company's situation?

In other words, Adam standing in front of her is not only a business elite, but also has a handsome appearance and an fascinating figure. She is very excited and wants to pounce on him.

"Adam, do you have plans tonight?"

Xian Yaowen came back to his senses and replied, "No, I plan to go back after the salon is over."

"Want to have a drink somewhere?"

"Just us?"

"Yes." Bettina looked into Xian Yaowen's eyes with burning eyes.

Having a drink is a sublimation and buffer before making love. If the feeling is right, the next step will be more passionate. If the feeling is not right, it can also be a simple etiquette drink to deepen the understanding of each other.

"Bettina, I'd love to have a drink with you, but not tonight. I didn't sleep well last night, and I want to go back early to catch up on my sleep. You know the press conference is about to be held, and I'll be very busy these few days. How about we meet again after the press conference?"

As he spoke, Xian Yaowen raised his glass in greeting.

Bettina raised her glass and said, "I'm fine."

"cheers."

After taking a sip of wine, Xian Yaowen said sorry and walked towards the new guest Christian Dior.

When investing in Givenchy, he had the idea of ​​investing in Dior, but Givenchy and Dior are good friends, and in their eyes, the commercial attributes of clothing brands are only secondary, and the sense of accomplishment is primary.

Seeing a brand named after myself and embodying my own philosophy being accepted and loved by everyone, the sense of accomplishment is wonderful. Money is just a by-product of the sense of accomplishment.

But at that time, he was not strong enough and could not provide convincing value other than funds. Dior had already achieved initial success. Christian came from an old-money family and fell into decline during the Great Depression. He was not a grassroots person. Such people were purer and more sincere about their careers than those who started from scratch.

From a business perspective, he was not qualified to use friendship as a way to negotiate investment, and Dior was not as affordable as Givenchy, so he chose Givenchy, which had not yet gone solo, highlighting his pursuit of fashion design. In Givenchy's eyes, he was a comrade first and an investor later.

This put him in a difficult position and made it difficult for him to negotiate with Christine about investing in Dior through Givenchy.

You, Adam, and I at Givenchy have a resonance in clothing concepts, and I accept your investment. At the same time, we also have differences. You, Adam, can build your own brand, but you invest in the already emerging Dior through me. What does this mean?
Do you not think highly of Givenchy, or are you Adam just a naked businessman?
Givenchy was not a poor boy from the country. He was born into an aristocratic family with many talented people and mines. The funds that Xian Yaowen injected into Givenchy Hepburn could be easily obtained by Givenchy through other channels.

To put it bluntly, the main reason why two people can become partners is their resonance in ideas.

However, no matter what, he still wants to invest in Dior. Investing in Dior now is still a profitable business. It is not convenient to start with Christine, so he can target Dior's investor, cotton king Marcel Boussac.

Even though this owner is an old-timer who plays horse racing, has extensive connections and is savvy in business, and it may not be possible to successfully buy shares from him, or may have to bleed heavily, but he is still determined to win and is not afraid of bleeding. The difference between a 5,000-fold and a 10,000-fold increase in value is actually not as big as imagined.

He has decided to be the big boss in the luxury goods field. He will label 70% of all luxury brands with Juliet. It doesn't matter if there are more. Juliet's brand management needs to be chased by several catfishes all the time, and it cannot be too comfortable.

As soon as Xian Yaowen approached, Givenchy introduced him.

"Christine, this is Adam, my partner. Adam, this is Christine, the founder of Christian Dior."

As soon as Givenchy finished speaking, Christine took the initiative to hold Xian Yaowen's hand and said with a smile: "Adam, I've heard about you from Hubert a long time ago."

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Xian Yaowen always felt that there was a hint of ambiguity in Christine's smile. The reason why she and Givenchy were so close was not only because they shared the same interests, but also because they were "best friends" and both had boyfriends.

Xian Yaowen had no interest in giving Christine's boyfriend a green hat, so when he could politely let go, he let go and said with a faint smile: "Hubert also talked about you, Christine, congratulations on your success."

“I don’t think Dior is successful now. It can achieve even greater success,” Christine said confidently.

"I believe it! I believe Givenchy is better than Dior."

Hearing this, Christine glanced at Givenchy, then turned back and chuckled, "I believe it, but I don't want to bless you and Hubert."

"No blessings are needed, and no white gloves are needed."

"You don't have to pick up the gloves." Christine laughed: "Just a joke."

There is a glove-taking ceremony in a duel. The provocateur needs to gracefully take off the white gloves and throw them at the feet of the duelist. If the duelist picks up the gloves and returns them, it is considered that he accepts the challenge. If he refuses, he will be regarded as a coward and his reputation will be ruined.

Xian Yaowen waved his hand to show that he didn't mind, "Christine, do you know about the Louvre's press conference?"

"Hubert has told me that your brand is holding a press conference. Please give me two invitations. I want to attend. Adam, it is a great idea to hold a press conference in the Louvre."

"I'll have someone send it to your studio tomorrow."

It is no secret in the circle that Christine's boyfriend is his childhood sweetheart and partner Serge Hüftler-Luish, so the other invitation was naturally given to him.

After a brief chat, Xian Yaowen simply stood at the door with Givenchy to receive guests.

For today's salon, Givenchy invited all the famous and familiar designers in Paris. During the reception, Xian Yaowen "sold" the invitations one by one.

Going to the Louvre to attend a press conference is a new thing, and every designer is willing to join in the fun, not to mention that Secret is an underwear brand and has no direct competitive relationship with them.

After a busy period, Xian Yaowen finally took care of the designer's invitation letter and was able to relax and immerse himself in the salon to discuss the concept of fashion design.

During the event, Hepburn spoke enthusiastically in the hope of leaving a good impression on the designer.

When you are out, your identity is given by yourself, and anyone can call themselves a famous actress. But if you want to monetize your identity, you need recognition from equally famous brands, especially clothing brands and car brands. If you cannot attend the press conferences of such brands and get endorsement contracts, no one else will recognize your identity as a famous actress.

This is what is called commercial value. The order of brand recognition and famous actresses can be reversed. Having brand recognition and being a French brand is equivalent to having a trump card to compete with other actresses for roles. Hepburn gained something here, and her path to Hollywood will be much easier.

The 2.0 version of Hollywood's going global has been launched. This version not only has commercial pursuits, but also carries the mission of exporting American values. The United States is going to fight a more covert and sophisticated war of cultural aggression, code-named "American Dream".

……

Hong Kong.

It was tea time, and Lin Dai skipped school and had tea with her friends in a teahouse.

There were five people in total, the ones that Xian Yaowen had met by chance on Kennedy Terrace. The leader was Du Yuesheng's seventh son Du Weishan, Lin Dai and another person named Chen Shanghou, whose stage name was Chen Hou. They are all people from Friendship Pictures now.

While eating barbecued pork buns, Lin Dai complained, "Why is Ge Lan's role more important than mine? Just because she was Xian Yaowen's sister's piano teacher?"

Chen Hou, who was already the company's key training target, remained silent. He didn't know what to say. Could it be that Ge Lan's performance was indeed better than yours? If so, Miss Cheng would not be furious.

Du Weishan did not speak either. Although he was still young and it was not his turn to speak on Du family affairs, he had ears. By listening a little here and a little there, he could naturally figure out that Xian Yaowen had a special relationship with the Du family. Moreover, his third brother Du Weiping was now helping Xian Yaowen with things, and it was not appropriate for him to say anything concerning Xian Yaowen.

Seeing that no one agreed with her complaints, Lin Dai lost her temper and said, "My dear, can you help me teach Ge Lan a lesson?" (End of this chapter)